gantan88

Hi Alamak, been following your blog closely coz it is very helpful to me also.. now i am also thinking about cove lighting. Learnt something new - "20% of ceiling width" haha. Measurement aside, im my opinion, the false ceiling should not be too out from the wall because if it is too out, the area underneath the false ceiling (sofa) will be very dark. Also the pelmet to hold the tube should be as low as possible, maybe just enuff to stop the tube from rolling out and drop on the floor, then maximum amt of light can disperse outward into the living room. Maybe dun need wo ON downlight also... If u purely want the cove light for ambience then it doesnt matter la... what i say above.. Also, your false ceiling for dining area should extend more to the left to cover the dining area more, for aesthetic reason. If not the dining area will have half false ceiling, half L-box. But if you are ok with the present design then ok ah.

I intend to go to this dealer to buy Blum: 828 Upper Bukit Timah Road Singapore 678155 Tel: 6760 0365 Contact: David Maybe u can go to Ubi showroom to see see first. Also go Blum website, there r other dealers around Singapore. 1 at Kranji also...

I poke my contractor he also never move. I just engaged my own window contractor to install the windows, mine.. he is fast... very help and 'steady guy. My plastering done up, but for kitchen walls, not sure they will plaster over because it is already cement-smooth. Other than that the window edges need some touch up cos' hacking out the old windows damages the plastering.... Thanks for reminder on the sealant... i forgot about it, a few people in here reminded me also about this... Still got many things not done yet and the handover is 15 Jan 2010. Dunno whether they can make it a not. I am starting to worry now. The sheets (u call that corrugated paper?) that they put on the floor to protect the flooring are all 'giam3 cai3' now... and the window contractors wearing safety boots walking around with loose cement particles around, dunno will scratch the living room tiles a not. There are also hardened cements sticked to the living room tiles. Quite a mess. Really 'no eye see'. With a few tiles defects outstanding... Worried man...

The unit below mine complain to town council that their toilet is leaking. The town council person come and advised me to talk to my contractor just to ensure that the wet works are done properly. And also to change the cast iron pipe in kitchen toilet (original from HDB 30 years ago) to PVC. The town council term contractor plumber came and gives a quote to change to PVC pipes and 'conveniently' says that the kitchen PVC pipe changed by the previous owner is not legal and advised me to change also. Anyone here who is technical in this can advise? The 'not legal' PVC pipe:

This is the aircon bracket exposed at masterbedroom. Very unsightly... even after box-up it will eat into the bedroom space... Does anyone know if this is original HDB bracket? Or is it done by 3rd party contractor?

Guest bedroom new window: Living room new windows: Masterbedroom new windows: Kitchen new window: Corridor view.....

Updates..... Today is window installation day. White powder-coated with tinted green glass pane. The hacking out of the old window damaged some of the plastering at the window edge area, hope my contractor will help to touch up for me for free.... Some pics.. Damages at the window edge areas after old windows are hack out.... View of Window-less kitchen: View of window-less masterbedroom: View of window-less guest bedroom:

Hi Pomme, Your pics really have the wow factor. I took out my floorplan again to see if your house is in anyway considerably bigger than mine but it is not leh.... I like that digital lock... but elderly will find it a hindrance :-p Where did you got the clipsal switches? I notice there is a blue LED to indicated ON/OFF status? Does it cost more to get the electrician to wire it for you?

That is a pretty fantastic idea! :)

Your house looks damm big after hacking away the walls. You sure it is a 3 room?

Hi BabyMushy, Tried to PM you, but yr inbox is full.

Create 2 access panel at each side of the L-box for future cabling works. If not just rely on the PLC light hole but dunno big enuff a not. Also take note if for exposed trunking now you need to use a slightly bigger now a not. If not next time have to tear out existing one and use a bigger one.

Second that man!

Sometimes is like very lazy la, u lie on bed already, then u can turn off the light there, no need to get up again and walk to doorway...

I think all infrastructure works have to plan carefully. If now you daisy chain all, next time hard to change liao.. gotta re-run wires and hack away your L box. Unless you create access panels in L-Box, standby for future cable run. If not take out the downlights, make use of the hole to run cables also can.

I am prepared to be carrot cake chopped for the electrical portion. Sure one. But if DIY, u need to take note which exposed wires are for which lightings. If you all daisy chain then simple lar... Then as long as you know which one is Earth, Live and Neutral wires, i think no problem. Buy yr own faceplates and terminate them yourself. There is one thing which i not sure if can DIY: What if i want a 2-way light control? Say, i switch the light on at main entrance, and there is another switch to switch the light off at the kitchen entrance.

No problem actually.. 3NG not a super big house, can DIY on design and colour matching. Although i engaged an ID firm, now i regretted. Cos' in terms of design aspect, i feel that i am receiving not enuff service from them. I do my colour matching myself also can actually, not any worse off than theirs.

If you daisy chain 3 or 4 tubes, you will switch on all of them together. If this is what you want then ok. For me i would prefer to break them up to at least 2 sections, so that i can selectively switch on only maybe 2 at any one time. Electricity bills..... But if too few tubes, break up also no use la... i haven got a concrete design for lighting yet... will see how....

$1 is cheap enuff. Can put more no problem...

Yeah understand. If i have holes in L Box, then it is as good as having PLC lights. How you diffuse light? Like those offices they use the silver reflector plate surrounding the tube?

Yeah... looks very obiang, old school if mount direct on ceiling. Y not let Ossify educate us how he dress up his tubes and yet did not use clove light?

I think even if there are pockets of dimmer areas also ok right? You can see it as another design As long as there is no pockets with completely no light - like lthose tubes that some kopitiam mounted on the external wall around their kopitiam.

this watt miser brand, how expensive is it compared to typical china brand? If slightly more expensive only, can consider. But on second thoughts, 10 plus years ago we are also use the tube in our kitchen, and it lasted quite long.... i suppose back then we bought any cheapo brand also as we are not as well informed as we are now about various brands and such stuffs.

If you are just mounting the tube on ceiling, then it should be bright enuff already, dun need to diffuse already mah. Or is it part of your dressing up of the tubes? I dun intend to have cove lighting to brighten up the room for reading. I just need it to be bright enuff, comfortable to the eyes. So that we wont feel giddy and need to strain our eyes to see or do normal things.

Then they will say it is he labour that cost money... Aiya... forget it liao.... Just get it over and done with. Impt is handover on time and i can move in on time!